Around 44% of rough sleepers in London have an alcohol problem.
Photograph: Teri Pengilley

Lee, Martin and Zac are discussing the geography of super-strength alcohol, in a hostel for the homeless in Vauxhall, south London.

“The strongest they sell around here now is Stella Artois,” says Martin, nodding out of the window in the direction of Vauxhall station and the skyscrapers springing up around the headquarters of MI6. Britain’s spies may not be familiar with where they can get the next hit of super-strength cider or lager, but for many homeless people it’s important knowledge – even more so since local shops stopped selling the drinks, which typically have alcohol in excess of 7.5%, as a public order measure. Too many hostel residents were ending up unconscious on the surrounding pavements.

Figures compiled by outreach workers say London has 8,108 rough sleepers. Of these, 44% have an alcohol problem, and many consume super- strength drinks. The homeless charity Thames Reach estimates that 98% of its clients drink high-strength ciders and beers.

A recent survey of deaths among Thames Reach’s hostel residents found that 10 out of the 16 in the past year were directly attributable to super-strength drinks. The previous year, 11 out of 14 deaths were blamed on the drinks. They are the kind of statistics that, ahead of the budget, have led the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, a group of more than 50 non-governmental organisations, to call for a rise in duty on high-strength ciders as an encouragement to switch to weaker – and cheaper – products.

If Lee, Martin and Zac travel a mile down the road from their hostel, they know an off-licence that has started selling a Polish super-strength lager for only £1.20 a can. If they travel a bit further to Stockwell, “you can buy a three-litre bottle of Frosty Jack’s [white cider] for just £3.50 at Iceland”, Martin says.

“Or four cans for £3,” Lee offers.

“So, for an extra 50 pence, you get an extra litre,” points out Martin, who quit the drinks after they gave him a loss of appetite and made him “moody”.

The three-litre bottle contains 24 units of alcohol – 10 units more than the recommended weekly amount for an adult. “I only buy it if I’ve got a little bit of money,” explains Zac, who is 42 and has been homeless since he was 15. Some days he will drink two or three bottles. “They give me such a headache. But if I’ve got money I’ll buy a normal drink.”

Produced from dried apple pulp and corn syrup, white cider, which bears little resemblance to organic cider, is attractive not just to the homeless but also younger drinkers on a budget.

Thames Reach says excessive consumption of super-strength drinks is causing its clients to develop problems associated with people in retirement: liver failure, organic brain damage, dementia, mobility issues and double incontinence. “We’re having to develop end-of-life care plans for them,” said one care worker. “Some of them are in their 30s. It’s just tragic.”

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While the public is familiar with images of homeless people rendered unconscious by the “zombie” drug Spice, a much bigger and legal killer is hiding in plain sight: cheap alcohol. Lockey, another resident at the Vauxhall hostel, mixes super-strength drinks with heroin and crack, a concern for health professionals because alcohol greatly increases the risk of drug overdoses. “I drink K [a cider that is 8% ABV] most of the time because I like it,” he said. “I’ve nearly died on five occasions. They had to revive me.”

With drug addictions there are substitutes available, such as methadone – but not with alcohol. This places significant demands on mental health services at a time when homelessness is on the rise. As many as one in 25 people is classed as homeless in the worst-affected areas of England, according to a survey for Shelter last week.

Emma Williamson, principal clinical psychologist with the south London and Maudsley NHS Trust, said homeless people were difficult to treat for alcohol addiction. “They really struggle to trust and form relationships and engage in services in a planned way,” she said.

An alternative solution – advocated by many addiction charities – has been to use increased pricing.

Six years ago, the government increased the duty on super-strength lagers. The consumption of super-strength beer fell by a quarter as a result. But, because of resistance from cider manufacturers, the government did not extend the rise to super-strength ciders.

The World Health Organisation claims that “a large body of literature has found raising the price of alcohol to be effective in reducing harmful use of alcohol among drinkers”.

In the Vauxhall hostel some residents were unconvinced. “They’ll just move to sherry,” one said.

But Zac said something needed to be done. “I can’t believe it can be legal to sell something so powerful so cheaply.”